Managing playing time for everyone is a challenge for Team USA coach Steve Kerr, who had to make a tough decision during Sunday’s 110-84 win over Serbia in group play.
Despite averaging 17.6 minutes in the five exhibition games before the Paris Olympics, Celtics star Jayson Tatum didn’t play.
Kevin Durant, who wasn’t available during those exhibitions, seemed to take Tatum’s spot in the rotation against Serbia.
“It’s really hard in a 40-minute game to play more than 10 guys, and with Kevin [Durant] coming back, I just went to the combinations that I felt would make the most sense,” Kerr told reporters, according to USA Today.
“It seems crazy. I thought I was crazy when I looked at everything and determined these are the lineups I want to get to. Jayson’s first-team All-NBA three years in a row, he’s one of the best players in the world.
“He’s incredibly professional, and that’s tonight. That doesn’t mean it’s going to stay that way the rest of the tournament, so he’ll make his mark.”
Steve Kerr gives simple reason for Jayson Tatum not playing in US Olympic opener https://t.co/4vIQaeahhf pic.twitter.com/Uttsty6nJR
— New York Post (@nypost) July 28, 2024
